Eniola Yekini
The New Initiative for Social Development (NISD), in collaboration with the Ekiti State Ministry of Education, has reaffirmed its commitment to promoting girls’ education, protecting their rights and ending child marriage.
The commitment was highlighted at the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child celebration held at Government College, Oye-Ekiti, where stakeholders advocated greater investment in education, life skills and safe spaces for girls.
The Ekiti State Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project Coordinator, Mrs Yewande Adesua, said the World Bank-supported programme had reached 203 public secondary schools across the state’s 16 local government areas.
She listed interventions to include the renovation of more than 1,468 classrooms, provision of 4,202 computers and smartboards, and installation of solar power systems and internet facilities in 130 schools.
Adesua added that 2,808 students benefited from the first cohort of the Conditional Cash Transfer programme, while 37 girls graduated from the Second Chance Education initiative, acquiring skills in hairdressing and fashion design.
Representing NISD, Barrister Ruth Oluwaleke stressed the need to uphold children’s rights and ensure that decisions affecting them prioritise their best interests. She urged girls facing pressure to marry early or other threats to seek help from trusted adults and relevant authorities.
An SS3 student and Executive Director of the Centre for Gender Space Initiative, Oreoluwa Ojo-Olusegun, called on parents to listen to girls and involve them in decisions affecting their future, condemning gender stereotypes that restrict their opportunities.
Similarly, Miss Ajayi Adeshewa of St. Augustine Comprehensive High School, Oye-Ekiti, identified poverty, cultural beliefs, gender inequality and insecurity as factors contributing to child marriage, advocating education and life skills as preventive measures.
Mrs Jumoke Omisore of FELA called for improved menstrual health support in schools, including access to sanitary pads, clean water and adequate toilet facilities.
The stakeholders called for sustained collaboration among government, development partners, parents and communities to protect girls’ rights, keep them in school and equip them with skills for independent futures.